Pale Rider
by raetia
Summary: In the Fifth Holy Grail War, Sakura summons the Servant Rider. But instead of Medusa, the Grail finds a better match to her character: Harry Potter, Quidditch Seeker of the century.
1. Summoning

This story is mostly from the perspective of Sakura, switching to Harry when she isn't at the scene of events. Harry is slightly AU, a few things changed in the aftermath of the Battle of Hogwarts. Harry is weary of fighting for his life and wishes for nothing more than a family.

* * *

Matou Residence, Friday evening  
– Sakura –

"... Oh keeper of the balance!"

As the summoning came to a close, smoke welled up from the ritual circle. An eerie green light pulsed through it, illuminating the room. Then, with a crackle, lightning flashed over the smoke, dispersing it. In the circle, a man in black robes kneeled, his emerald green eyes on me. As I saw them, only one emotion shot through me: Fear. This wasn't one of the Gorgon sisters, as grandfather had expected. I glanced over to him – now he would punish me for summoning the wrong servant. I came back out of my shock as the heroic spirit spoke:

"Servant Rider answers your summons. I ask of you: are you my Master?"

Haltingly, I answered, "I, I am. My name is Sakura Matou, may I ask yours?"

He glanced over to grandfather and Shinji, then asked, "If I may be so bold, master, do you really want them to know?"

At this, Shinji ran out of patience: "Enough of this. Transfer one of your control seals alrea..."

In the blink of a moment, Rider had whipped out a stick of engraved dark wood, which shot out a nearly white, pale purple light. Mid sentence, Shinji froze stock still. Grandfather followed him a moment later. I flinched, knowing what would happen next. Blinding pain flashed throughout my body. The last thing I saw was red bolts of light before I succumbed to the darkness.

* * *

– Harry –

Knowing my luck, I should have expected something like this. Instead of an experienced wizard, or magus as they were called here, I'd drag a terrified teenage girl into a war.

I had seen her fearful glance towards the two men in the room. Was she pressured into summoning me? Then they ordered my master to hand over her control over me. In response, I snapped out two silent full body-binds, _petrificus totalus_. But the older one seemed to have some sort of hold over my master: She started to writhe in agony. I shot off three stunners; first on the men, then on her to spare her the pain. However, her twisting continued despite them all being unconscious. Not a purely mental hold, then. Without any idea how to stop this myself, there was only one option. To compel that man to release her. A quick " _Rennervate_ " brought him back to awareness. Driven by the anger over both the girl's situation and being forced to resort to the darkest of magic, I mustered my full determination to impose my will upon him.

Then, I intoned, " _Imperio_. Stop harming my master!"

He had a keen and strangely fractured mind, and some of my attention was distracted by my master squirming on the floor. I only had a grip on part of his mind. I focused my all into another push, until my willpower and raging resolve pounded his resistance into submission and Sakura settled. As an afterthought, I threw a verbal " _Incarcerous_ " at the younger man to make sure I wouldn't be disturbed.

Seeing as I needed information, I transfigured parchment and a feather, which I enchanted as a self-writing self-inking quill to record the coming conversation. Then, I lifted the body bind on the elder and started my interrogation. I had assisted Ron a few times: Basic facts first, then the questions pertinent to the investigation.

" _Tempus_. It is the evening of Friday, January 19th 2007. State your name and relation to Sakura Matou."

"Zouken Matou. I am her adopted grandfather."

"What happened to her parents and why did you adopt her?"

"In the last Grail War, her father was killed and her mother suffered brain damage, she has died since. The Tohsaka family had two potential heirs, I had none, so they gave her to me."

"They were alive when you adopted her? They gave away their own child only because they had another?"

"Yes to both. Only one could inherit the family crest, and due to their different affinities the two needed separate instruction."

"I can't believe anyone would be that ruthless. Does she have any other family left?"

"Only her sister, Rin Tohsaka. She seems to keep her distance at school."

"Aargh. Bloody brilliant. Now to the more immediately pressing matters. State how Sakura was treated during the time she lived with you, including anything that might have left lasting physical or emotional damage."

As I listened, I had to keep down a turmoil of emotions from appalled to furious. My own childhood paled in comparison to the horrors he recounted. Twice I had to reapply the Imperius as my concentration slipped due to sheer shock. Horcruxes, those crest worms he described were bloody horcruxes and Sakura had to suffer dozens of them! And as if that wasn't enough, he had added the shattered pieces of the previous Grail, knowing full well that its essence was corrupted!

What I heard drove me into a cold fury. Several pointed questions later, it changed to dismay: Zouken could only order all crest worms not bonded to her central nervous system to return to a pit in the cellar (which I immediately enforced). Abruptly removing those worms entwined with her nerves would kill Sakura. As it was, I still would have to extract one additional worm; the one next to her heart, which Zouken had designated as his main soul and would allow him to possess her.

I cursed myself – while I frequently had to deal with injuries in my line of work, I had only learnt basic diagnostic spells, _Ferula, Episkey_ and _Vulnera Sanentur_. For everything else, I had relied on healers. While I closed the wounds left by the exiting worms with repeated casting of " _Episkey_ ", I considered my options. Zouken was stunned and bound so that I could concentrate. Two elaborate transfigurations saw a lifeless body double of my master placed on an operating table. For lack of a sterile room, I cast a massive " _Scourgify_ " and an overpowered bubble-head charm that extended over her chest, constantly filtering the air it enclosed. I'd have to substitute the medical stasis spell with " _Petrificus totalus_ " and slow blood flow with a single " _Vulnera Sanentur_ ". I always had exceptional eye-hand coordination, thus I would be using _Diffindo_ instead of a scalpel. I repeatedly practised the entire procedure on the transfigured body until I was confident I could operate without rupturing major blood vessels or nerves. When I had finally extracted the actual horcrux and finished my chant of " _Vulnera Sanentur, Vulnera Sanentur, Vulnera Sanentur_ ", dawn had broken. I was exhausted but glad it went off without a hitch.

Now, how to deal with the crest worms? Were I Saber, I'd have the basilisk envenomed Sword of Gryffindor, as Caster enough control to cast Fiendfyre, as Berserker the contempt and hate to fuel the killing curse. But I had none of that; I couldn't guarantee the soul fragments wouldn't just jump to the nearest vessel. Hmm... still better than hundreds of crest worms. Course decided upon, I cast _petrificus totalus_ , a flame-freezing charm and neon orange colour changing charm on the main horcrux before throwing it into the pit with the lesser worms. I swept an " _Incendio_ " over the entire pit, watching as worms shrivelled, burst and ultimately were reduced to ash. Only the protected worm remained, potentially containing all their merged soul fragments. The ash I transfigured into a crystal phial around the horcrux, with an opening too small for it to escape. To be safe, I sealed it with a _colloportus_ and enchanted it imperturbable and fire-proof.

I returned to my master's side. With most of the worms gone, her former beauty had become haggard. As none of her wounds directly stemmed from dark magic they would heal without blemishes, but she currently looked heavily bruised. Without potions, she'd be bedridden over the weekend and take a few days of sick leave.

Now that the immediate threat to Sakura was temporarily dealt with, my attention went back to her foster family. As much as I wanted to see Shinji locked away in youth custody for his vile acts, I doubted Sakura would testify in court. According to Zouken's account, Shinji had only shown sickening cruelty after puberty set in, so he might turn around if shown a firm hand. I couldn't just leave him on the floor, so I looked for his room and deposited him on his bed, with more comfortable bindings. Zouken himself would have to be stripped of all power over Sakura if she ever wanted to feel safe. With that in mind, I bit the bullet and resumed my Imperius enforced interrogation. The quill was still hovering above its parchment, having recorded my spells and several memos during the operation.

"This is the second interrogation of Zouken Matou, conducted on January 20th 2007. List all remaining locations of your crest worms."

"Sakura and my body are hosts. My main soul is in a small container in this room. Two are in the Matou residence garden. One is at the shopping district, crawling towards Ryuudou temple. All others had been recalled to the cellar."

Knowing that he might scurry away one of the worms in his, or worse Sakura's body (which would threaten her life) I again snapped off stunners and _petrificus totalus_ before leaving with the horcrux vial in hand and eradicating the three wayward worms, using line-of-sight apparition to reach the shopping district.

"Let it be noted that there was a pause during which the interrogator dealt with the three worms outside this residence. Mr. Matou, do you have any assets Sakura is unaware of that might help in her... magecraft education?"

Suddenly, he put up massive resistance. What was he trying to keep secret?

"The drawers in my study room contain tomes on the fundamentals, anthropology, and the Matou magecraft. The cellar connects to an underground facility for experiments with crest worms."

With a suspicion, I looked at the transcript. Bugger! He'd only said the remaining worms were in the cellar, not the pit! Some of them had to be in that complex, and he nearly managed to misdirect me. Again, I interrupted my interrogation to deal with yet more crest worms.

"Record that I destroyed the crest worms in a room adjacent to the cellar, along with everything but the research journals. Are there any other crest worms left beyond your main soul and those in your or Sakura's body?"

"No."

"Thank Merlin. Now, I had a look at your study. A few locks yielded to _Alohomora_ , others seem heavily trapped. Please state how to safely access the drawers in your study."

I only listened half-heartedly, knowing that the quill would document everything aside from gestures, which I had to memorize. A wizarding camera would have been useful, but oh well. Until now, all questions were related to Sakura's condition. What else might be relevant? Oh, right! A war was about to start.

"Next question. Beyond the common knowledge, what do you know about the Grail itself and likely masters in the current Grail War?"

Thus, he told me how the Grail was originally designed to regain the Third Magic, but would need the souls of all seven servants to do so, unlike the wish which could be granted with six. How it was likely still corrupted, although without Sakura as the lesser Grail it shouldn't manifest Angra Mainyu unless the gate to Akasha was opened by fully powering it. Instead, it would twist whatever wish was placed upon it. How Rin Tohsaka and an Einzbern homunculus were guaranteed to participate, while other magi might come from afar. How Rin boosted her power with with jewel magecraft, and the Einzbern representative would know of alchemy.

With that information, only one giant problem remained. As long as Zouken had his magecraft, he could control the crest worms in Sakura. Fortunately, the knowledge granted by the Grail had a solution for that which might even help her.

"Now for the last part: Can you transfer your regular magical circuits, not those from crest worms, into a family crest?"

"No, as I converted my entire body including all circuits into crest worms."

"What? You are nothing but a puppet, an abomination? Not even Riddle would have gone that far! Well, that makes it easier to deal with you. Catch. _Petrificus totalus, stupefy, wingardium leviosa_."

I threw him the horcrux vial, levitated his body into the pit and forced myself to burn it, telling myself that it was only a puppet, that I wasn't actually killing him. Now Zouken could live in his crystal prison, unable to hurt anyone ever again.

When the deed was done, I checked on the two children. I considered using _rennervate_ to rouse Sakura, but decided against disturbing her sleep. A few hours later, she woke up by herself. I partially propped up the top of the recliner as talking while horizontal would be uncomfortable for her, but sitting could strain her wounds. A quick privacy spell ensured we wouldn't be overheard.

* * *

– Sakura –

Flashes of pain. All-encompassing pain. Then relief for a while, accompanied by rage. Only for the pain to return, worse than before. Relief again, but the nightmare didn't end. Several sharp stings in the chest, then a feeling of weariness. As I woke up, I heard a voice.

" _Muffilato_. Good morning, master. Please stay in bed, you're still weakened."

I mumbled, "Huh? I feel sore all over. What happened?"

In a distressed tone, he hastily responded, "I found out about those horrible crest worms your grandfather inflicted you with. I did what I could to get rid of most of them, but some still remain. I apologize for any pain I caused you yesterday, and that I couldn't do more. I only had your best interests at heart, but that doesn't excuse how I acted without thinking. I really hope you can forgive me."

After a short pause, he appended with a bow, "Oh, but where are my manners. Lord Harry Potter, at your service."

Still dizzy, I barely processed the first part of what he said and reacted mostly on reflex with the manners drilled into me.

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Lord Potter. As I mentioned before, my name is Sakura Matou."

"Oh, just call me Harry, or Rider when out and about. You... don't seem to know about me?"

Afraid of angering a servant, a living legend who could kill me with casual ease, I timidly shook my head.

"Great! You have no idea how hard it is to escape your own fame. No need to use Rider in public, then. Now, do you need anything?"

I was a bit surprised at his reaction, but mostly relieved. After a moment of consideration, I asked, "Could I have a glass of water?"

Awestruck, I watched as he first created a glass from thin air, then filled it with water coming from his implement. As a magus, I was drilled not to use magecraft for trivial tasks, and here he used it to avoid walking to the kitchen! I numbly drank to wet my parched throat and after I was done, the glass vanished.

"Everything fine now? Okay."

He hesitated a moment, but when I didn't say anything, he seemed to screw up his courage and added, "While you recuperate from your ordeal, I should probably tell you about me."

He spoke of the prophecy that shaped his life, the betrayal of his parents, being orphaned but surviving due to his mother's sacrifice. After a sigh, he clearly had to push himself as he reluctantly, with an emotionless mask on his face, told me how his relatives had hated him, starved him and treated him as a servant.

It became easier as he retold his adventures at Hogwarts, even the basilisk with mystic eyes of petrification had become a fond memory. When the second war began however, I could see that each death he remembered still affected him a little. As Harry reached the point where he walked to his own death, I couldn't help myself. I told him to come closer and hugged him. He returned the hug and I couldn't say whether the tears I felt were mine or his, probably from both of us. After a while, and still holding me close, he softly spoke of the limbo, his miraculous survival, and the defeat of Voldemort. Only then did he straighten up again.

After the war, Harry apparently was tired of fighting and turned his back on the clean up. Besides, as the Master of Death it would have been stupid to become an Auror and risk the allegiance of the Elder Wand in each fight. Instead, he returned to Hogwarts for his N.E.W.T. year together with his friend Hermione and made his career as a world-famous Quidditch seeker.

"I enjoy teaching, child care, enchanting, and most of all flying. Nothing rivals the thrill of racing through the air."

"Enchanting? Would you explain that to me?"

"As I mentioned, one of the basic disciplines of wizardry is charms, where you temporarily change the state of an object or person. For example, the flame-freezing charm makes something fireproof, while the cheering charm improves your mood. Enchantment is the art of binding such an effect to an object, making it permanent. The fastest form is the _Fianto Duri_ , which stabilizes the spell but continually drains the caster to power it. The best enchantments use ambient magic and are often reinforced by runes, but I never took the Ancient Runes course at Hogwarts. I only know a few specific rune clusters my mentors taught me."

"Oh, so charms are similar to Alteration magecraft. What about the glass you projected before, and where did the water come from?"

He seemed amused by my eager questions and softly chuckled. "I conjured the glass, which is a form of transfiguration. I never actually questioned how _aguamenti_ works, but from the spell structure it's some kind of summoning, so I guess the water is condensed from the clouds above, seeing as it doesn't dry out the surrounding area."

"Why the interest in enchantment in particular?"

"You see, it began three years into my career. I was Seeker for the Chudley Cannons and admitted on the English National Quidditch Team for the 2002 World Cup. After their abysmal losses in 1994 and 1998, we made a good showing against Bulgaria in the semifinals. Most exhilarating game I ever played, pity Krum retired after his team lost the finals. But where was I. The reason the British teams were hopeless in the previous Quidditch World Cups was that we insist on using British brooms. The Nimbus 2001 might have been the fastest broom before the Firebolt, but the materials alone for the latter cost more than any other broom on the market. As I later learned, ebony and goblin iron can take much denser enchantments than regular wood. So when I got involved as a counsellor in the design of the Nimbus 2002, my advice was simple: If we can't beat the Firebolt in raw performance, beat them in matching. They designed three variants for play with the different balls: Stability for Beaters, agility for Chasers and Keepers, and speed for Seekers. Only on the latter we couldn't outperform the Firebolt's speed, but personally I just saw it as a challenge to catch the Snitch despite that. I also convinced Nimbus to offer fine-tuning of brooms for each player's personal style, which they of course did for the national teams.

"Well, after all that, I was intrigued and wanted to know more about enchanting. I never had the time for a formal apprenticeship, but I learned about enchanting brooms at Nimbus, inventing novel enchantments at Weasley Wizard Wheezes, and had a glimpse of crafting foci during several years at Ollivanders. I eventually took three years off for my joint mastery project together with Hermione and earned the title of master enchanter."

As I took all that in, I noticed that the light in the room was reddening. Turning my head, I saw the sun beginning to set. Had it really been a full day since I summoned Harry? And with that thought, my hunger drew attention to itself.

"Thanks for telling me all that, and for keeping me company. Um... could you help me to the kitchen so that I can prepare dinner? You must be hungry."

"Out of the question. You need your bed rest. I'm sure I can whip something up. I only know European recipes, though. Is that a problem?"

While I had never cared for western food, it wouldn't do to offend him.

"Not at all. I don't know about my family, though. By the way, where have they been?"

As I mentioned them, he twitched nervously and slowly blushed. Oh, that was horrible. I had forgotten about them with all that was happening, and it seemed so had he. They would be livid. I shrank back at the mere thought of all the pain I would be in.

"Oh. Well…" he trailed off as he noticed my reaction and tried to reassure me. "Hey, no need to panic. As long as I draw breath, they will never again harm you. You were probably still dazed when I mentioned it, but your 'grandfather'" – he practically growled the word – "can't hurt you anymore. I razed his pit and got rid of most of the worms in you."

"H-How? They were burrowed throughout my entire body. From what grandfather told me, cutting them out would kill me."

"That's why I forced them to leave by themselves. I couldn't do anything about those worms that had attached themselves to your nerves, but the others are gone. And I made sure the man who did this to you won't come near you. I'll bring him his food separately."

With those words, and apparently unwilling to go into details, he left towards the kitchen. I still doubted that anything could free me from the pain and influence of the crest worms. But whether Harry did what he claimed or not, I could only resign myself to my fate. And looking down over my bruised and gaunt body, he clearly must have removed some of them.

After a while, I heard someone walk up the stairs. Harry was probably telling grandfather and Shinji that dinner was ready. I prepared for a fit of rage, but heard none. Whatever they talked about took longer than the cooking, the food would probably be cold by now.

The meal was somewhat unsettling. Grandfather wasn't there and Shinji seemed rather nervous but also silently fuming. We ate silently before Harry muttered " _mobilicorpus_ " and floated me into my room. Exhausted, I quickly fell asleep.

* * *

AN: Harry acted too fast for Zouken to attempt anything before he was placed under the Imperius. He never had the chance to speak freely and force Harry to submit by holding Sakura's life ransom. During the operation, only his body was stunned, not his consciousness. Exploiting that, he spread some of his worms to the hidden chamber and garden, evading the initial obliteration.

Edit: Special thanks to OriksGaming, who noticed a few issues which I tried to address. I'm still undecided on whether to change the narration from first person to third person, so I opened a poll on my profile page.


	2. Taking stock

Matou Residence, Saturday night  
– Harry –

With Sakura sleeping upstairs, I let out a long-held sigh. The Imperius had tired me mentally and the operation had worn me out physically, but it was nothing compared to the emotional burnout wrought from talking about the cruel childhoods of first Sakura and then myself. My suppressed wrath and agony had died down to contemplation and commiseration, leaving me numbly leaning against a wall.

Sakura was my Master, she needed to know my character and capabilities; in short, my 'legend'. And while I loathed to talk about it back home, that was due to the expectations and grandstanding involved with fame. Here, I was unknown and didn't have to fear people staring at my forehead, where a faint outline of my scar remained. Nobody here forced me to play the part of the Boy-Who-Lived, hero of the Light, saviour of the wizarding world.

As to why I included my own childhood, which I had only ever talked about with my closest friends and on Hermione's urging a therapist, I might give several reasons, or rather pretexts: That trust is earned, not given, and if one of us would have to take the first step it may as well be me. My 'saving people thing' to place her well-being before mine, when she needed a distraction, catharsis, and self-respect. Showing her that one could rise from an abused nobody to a respected, confident star. Ultimately, the truth lay in my guilt over having her deepest secrets and suffering laid bare before me during the interrogation without her consent, and the desire to reciprocate.

I shuddered. Telling Sakura about that detail would take all my Gryffindor courage. But my resolve would not falter. I would not copy Dumbledore, manipulating others and keeping them unaware, be it for their own sake or the greater good. I could only hope that it wouldn't shred her frail self-respect. I could cope were she to hate me, but not if she blamed herself. For now she seemed to cling to the first glimmer of hope like me back when I first met Hagrid, but she could just as easily withdraw back into her shell.

But back to the present and preparations for the war. While knowing my legend was all well and good, Sakura needed more details on my abilities. Thus, I took a fresh stack of paper and went over my list of relevant spells, using the dictaquill for this task:

Direct combat  
Impedimenta – slow target  
Conjunctivitis – blind target  
Sectumsempra – create several deep slashes (dark cutting curse)  
Confringo, Bombarda (maxima) – create explosion of fire / force  
Protego (maxima, totalum, horribilis) – shield caster  
Incendio, Ventus, Aguamenti, Glacius (tria) – summon fire / wind / water / ice

Indirect combat  
Avis – conjure swarm of birds  
Draconifors – transfigure object into pteosaur or dragon  
Oppugno – charm object or summon to attack person  
Incarcerous, Fulgari – bind target in conjured ropes / chains of lightning  
Expelliarmus – disarm target  
Epoximise – adhere objects together

Secrecy  
Quietus – silence target  
Disillusionment charm – render person invisible  
Reparo – repair object  
Muggle-repelling charm – prevent non-magicals from noticing area

Utility  
Episkey, Vulnera Sanentur – heal minor / major wounds  
Gemino – duplicate object  
Apparition, Portus – teleport by wormhole

Thinking back on the typical repertoire actually used in battle, most exchanges I participated in relied on a handful of spells. Stunning with _stupefy_ , disarming with _expelliarmus_ , shielding with _protego_ , blasting shields and barricades with _bombarda_ , killing with _avada kedavra_. Many of the more obscure spells solely come into play between master duelists like Dumbledore, Flitwick and Riddle. As I wanted to distance myself from the memories of war, I didn't bother to train and thus only knew three combat spells beyond the DADA curriculum. _Expecto patronum_ to summon a guardian animal from pure happiness to drive away dark creatures, I was taught by Professor Lupin. _Sectumsempra_ I picked up from Professor Snape's notes. _Fulgari_ was passed on to me by Ron after he learned it in auror training.

Considering I was up against heroes of legend, I was at a severe disadvantage. No longer could I put off applying other talents in battle: transfiguration, disillusionment, apparation, and broom flight. There was a reason I was summoned as Rider, after all.

However, only true masters can perform free transfiguration in the middle of a battle. If someone like me wants to field constructs and golems, those are prepared beforehand. I could either carry them in shrunken form, or lure any enemies on a prepared battlefield with my creations lying in wait. Oh, if I hid them underground I could have them rise from the earth as if they were formed on the spot! Apart from potentially catching my opponent unaware with an attack from right below, it would disguise my true capabilities and look quite impressive.

It was a real shame that I couldn't get my hands on basilisk venom – if surviving it was worth A rank poison resistance, other servants obviously were vulnerable to it. A single cut would be all it took, but alas, I'd have to do without. But if servants were susceptible to poisons, what about debilitating potions?

Another option were enchanted items I might be able to reproduce, for which I started another list:

Nimbus  
\- brooms  
\- quidditch & quodpot balls: quaffle, snitch, bludger, quod  
\- omniocular

Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes  
\- magical fireworks: Wildfire Whiz-bangs  
\- peruvian instant darkness powder  
\- portable swamp

Ollivanders  
\- wands

General  
\- protean charm: magical headset, two-way mirror  
\- extension charm: expanded trunk, wizarding tent

Mastery project  
\- ring of protection  
\- pensieve

The Wheezes amongst this list were excellent for distracting enemies, and a swarm of stone balls with bludger and quod enchantments would hunt them down ruthlessly to strike, explode and pelt them with shrapnel. However, these single-use items were quick to produce and thus not all that urgent before the war officially started. On the other hand, most of the more elaborate objects, especially wands and the pensieve, would take weeks if not months and might therefore not be ready in time. That left only brooms, headsets, and rings of protection, which I should start on immediately.

The headset was Hermione's idea. Neither patronus messages nor floo calls are comfortable for frequent communication, and they are downright useless in battle. Her brilliant idea was to connect the membranes of a microphone and loudspeaker with the protean charm, plus a _sonorous_ for the speaker. Then she mounted a dozen microphones on the microphone boom of a headset, each connected to a different channel i.e. recipient. The active channel is chosen by a control dial that turned the correct microphone into position. As I didn't need the headsets long term, I simply transfigured and enchanted several sets on the spot.

For myself, I drafted a Nimbus 2020 Thrill Seeker, the fastest and most maneuverable broom I had ever helped design. I meticulously penned down the enchantments and runes to be placed on it from memory. Considering I'd be forced to use slightly sub-par materials, I was glad that as a servant I had more than enough power and control to force the enchantments to stabilize. The appearance hadn't changed all that much since the Nimbus 2001 except for an outer layer of shorter bristles (usually in team colours, this time in violet to match Sakura's hair), but the magic had been completely overhauled. Its unique feature was how said outer ring of bristles provided no forward thrust at all – they were purely for steering, reacting to the slightest command but rapidly leveling out to prevent oversteering. With the erratic movements of a fleeing snitch, this was a massive advantage over any other Seeker's broom. In the coming war, it would hopefully work just as well to evade attacks. I wanted to give Sakura a learner's broom, but if my master were to follow me in the air where she'd be safe from any Assassin, she'd need a broom equal to mine. Thus, with great reluctance, I designed a variant of the Nimbus 2020 that held the referee anti-bludger enchantment and the option to override its controls from my broom. The former would simplify guiding potential swarms of bludgers as they would only be trailing me and our enemies. The latter would allow me to force her broom through evasive maneuvers if necessary.

The ring of protection was far more complex to get right without my notes. It had been my and Hermione's joint mastery project, inspired by Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes' shield hats. While those had worked on a limited charge and would run out after taking half a dozen curses, I had learned enough about foci from Ollivanders to draw the required magic from the wearer. Without the limit of a paltry charge, Hermione had thrown herself into Arithmancy to optimise the shield itself. The result was a three layered shield of _protego maxima_ , _protego totalum_ , and _protego horribilis_. The first is strongest against regular spells and impacts, the second diversifies to catch obscure curses, and the third is tuned to block dark magic. The first two layers can be momentarily switched off by tapping the ring, allowing outbound spells to slip through if timed right. While Hermione did her research, I investigated the Weasley clock or more specifically, the 'mortal peril' indicator on it. I was wary when it turned out to be based on blood magic, but in the end we agreed to use a blood binding on the ring that prevents others from using it and activates most of the protections when the wearer is in peril. As additional safety features, we added a flame freezing charm against fire, _arresto momentum_ when falling, an anti summoning charm, and a magically isolated gem to be later enchanted as a portkey. Fixing the portkey in the enchantment would only have allowed for a single use and destination, which is far less useful than leaving it to the owner.

The masterpiece of our enchantment was actually a late addition. We were searching for a name for our invention and looked into the muggle game Dungeons and Dragons. However, we found not only the 'ring of protection' but also the 'mind blank' spell that blocks mind arts and divination. In a flash of inspiration, I remembered that the Goblet of Fire had been confounded, meaning it registered as a consciousness to the confundus charm. If an object could be targeted, could it be used to intercept? As it turned out, yes. It took us two entire additional years and detailed study of both a pensieve and the sorting hat, but we managed to give our ring a basic personality and project it over the wearer. _Imperio, crucio, confundo, obliviate,_ and _legilimens_ target the superimposed consciousness of the ring, keeping the ring-bearer safe. Considering all the protections on them, Hermione and I ultimately decided to only provide our friends with rings and made sure they were bound to their blood; dark wizards were hard enough to take down without further protection.

After finishing the plans for the broom and ring, it was well past midnight. I dictated a tally of materials I'd need to my dictaquill.

\- 4 gemmed silver rings (2x amethyst)  
\- magical chestnut or maple wood  
\- magical hazel or birch twigs  
\- woodworking supplies (tools, wood stain, varnish, polish)  
\- metal parts (steel rod, pivot pins, twig band)  
\- rubber lining  
\- sack of charcoal as base for darkness powder

The second pair of silver rings was a precaution if we made allies, as I wouldn't have time to prepare everything twice. If possible, I would ask the jeweller to have them engraved with the proper runeset. While ebony and mahogany wood are prized by enchanters for being receptive to any enchantments, I had little hope to find them in this climate. Chestnut and maple appear less accepting, but both have an affinity to flight* and will thus allow broom enchantments, though the cushioning charm might be harder to apply. Hazel and birch are temperamental and therefore react at lightning speed, exactly what is needed for the bundle of twigs. All wood would have to come from a place soaked in magic. The tools and other supplies I'd procure during a visit to a hardware store on Monday. Damn, I had forgotten to get Zouken's credit card details. Here was I, Harry Potter, heir to the Potter and Black estates, contemplating to rob an old man. That thought got a chuckle out of me.

I still had several hours of darkness left and didn't actually need to sleep, so maybe I could go out for a stroll through the woods in the cover of the night in search for the proper wood? However, I had no idea what wards, pardon me, bounded fields were on the mansion. Aargh, so many questions I didn't ask before I impulsively incinerated that puppet body and with it any chance for answers. Well, even if the war hadn't officially started yet, I couldn't leave Sakura undefended. Unfortunately, I had never bothered with personally erecting wards since the horcrux hunt, and that was ages ago. The only thing I managed to remember was that I could cast sustained variants of the shield charm, which I immediately applied: " _Protego totalum fianto duri"_. It would block magic, projectiles and astralized servants, but anyone could just walk through. If only I hadn't forgotten how to cast an alarm ward or fidelius!

While I had an idea how to get a warning should anything happen, I had another far more immediate problem: I could still feel the trickle of my prana maintaining the shield. Negligible for the moment, but it'd consume a considerable part of my reserves should I leave it for a few hours. That reminded me – I'd have to use my prana sparingly from now on. The initial supply from the summoning wouldn't last forever and while Sakura was rather powerful and could fully recharge me in less than a week were she healthy**, she wasn't. What the crest worms wouldn't consume, Sakura would need for her own recovery so that the magic could subtly heal her body. Weakening her further was unacceptable, so unless I conserved my strength, I might soon suffer magical exhaustion in addition to my present threefold (physical, mental, emotional) fatigue.

Well, that would not do. I took down my shield, it would take too much out of me to keep it up during my planned absence. My trip would have to be delayed until I'd manage to rework the shield into a proper ward able to subsist on ambient prana. While I did come across the corresponding rune set during my mastery project and experimented with it, that was decades ago. Might as well go all the way and use the triple layered shield of the ring of protection as a base design, adjust the radius, and replace the prana origin.

If only I had Hermione to help me. I glanced at the resurrection stone on my ring finger. Surely she would want to know all about a world with mages instead of wizards, where magic was used so differently… No, I couldn't tear her out of the afterlife just for some research! Instead, I wrote down the runes to draw from internal magic, then on a different sheet what I remembered on those for ambient prana. Seeing them side by side jogged my memory and I noticed some parallels. Soon, I lost myself in what would look to the ignorant like a sudoku in Elder Futhark.

* * *

Sunday morning  
– Sakura –

I woke up, but stayed in bed. I was too weak to move, and besides, what would I do? Just continue as if nothing happened and do my homework? Find out where grandfather was or what Shinji planned to inflicted upon me, considering the look he had shot me at dinner? Ask Harry about his intentions for the Grail War?

For all that I was his master, I was well aware that he had basically acted on his own. After the summoning, he had disabled us three in an instant, dealing with a perceived threat as he saw fit. Not even grandfather had stood a chance against a Servant, so besides the command spells, Harry could do as he pleased. He seemed to genuinely have my interests at heart, but was I just another damsel in distress to him? Would he consider my opinion, or plot a course of action without asking for my input?

And what did I actually have to offer? When Shinji had demanded to become Matou representative, I was resigned, but also glad to escape the war. Now I would have to participate in a deadly tournament and was ill prepared. I was useless, impotent. I had only been taught the basics of magecraft, the most common of spells. When grandfather spoke of the Matou family magecraft, it was only to frighten me with the horrors that lay ahead of me. Besides, with the state my body was in I couldn't even use what little I knew. I could neither defend myself nor assist Harry with knowledge, offensive magecraft or raw prana. I was a burden. When Harry noticed, would he treat me as such?

On the other hand, the ritual had rejected the admittedly weak catalyst, instead summoning whoever was most compatible with the summoner, me. Harry had suffered as I had, abused by his relatives and a cruel fate placed upon him at birth, played out at the hands of an old man. If anyone could understand me it would be him, right? Maybe he'd remember what it was like to have your path predetermined by others and would not just decide what was best for me? I could only hope.

For now, all I could do was to await my fate and find comfort in the thought that my family couldn't harm me anymore now that Harry was around.

As I stewed on my situation, another thought came to me. What would happen after the war, should I survive? Taking the previous four Grail Wars into account, chances were that nobody would emerge as winner yet again. Besides, the opposing six servants should be equally powerful as Harry and would aim to eliminate us. Viewed matter-of-factly, it was near inevitable that Harry would perish, leaving me open to retaliation by my relatives. They had been cruel beforehand, but that would likely pale compared to the horrid torture that I'd be subjected to until I was no more than a broken puppet. At that conclusion, I broke down and sobbed. The debilitating pain I felt when trying to move kept me from curling up, so I just lay there on my bed, crying bitter tears at the fate that awaited me.

After what felt like hours, I was brought out of my sobbing by the voice of Harry from downstairs: "Eureka!"

It wasn't long before I heard him coming up the stairs and knocking on my door. I did my best to compose myself before inviting him in. From his concerned look after he saw me, I failed miserably. He sat down on the edge of my bed and gently wiped my tear tracks with a tissue that wasn't there a moment before.

"Good morning. Are you alright, Sakura? Scratch that, dumb question. What bothers you?"

Usually I would have denied or lied, but my mind and body were worn out to the point I no longer cared.

"Whatever you did to keep grandfather and Shinji in line, after the war when you are gone they'll take it out on me."

"Don't worry. I'll give my all to get us through the war, and afterwards... I'll stay, if you will have me. Your circuits can support a servant even without the assistance of the Grail, so you could just keep me around. And that worm Zouken got what he deserved. He had turned his entire body into crest worms, so it was only appropriate to trap him in that form permanently. Whatever happens, he can't hurt you anymore.

"As to Shinji, he'll try to cow you again, but with your grandfather gone, you no longer need to fear him. Bullies pick on those that are unable to retaliate. Stand firm and he'll eventually stop, servant or no servant. Actually, I wondered... are there any extenuating circumstances for Shinji's repulsive behaviour? Or is he just wretched scum?"

"Apart from grandfather encouraging him... It is only a guess, but maybe jealousy that I am the heir, that I can perform magecraft when he never will? The Matou line has brought forth less and less magic potential over the years. Shinji was sometimes mocked because he has not a single circuit. That's why I was adopted, after all, to preserve the Matou magecraft and its despicable crest worms."

A pensive frown crossed Harry's face as he asked "Did his second parent come from a line of magi that frequently married into the Matous, by chance?"

"I... I think so, yes?"

Harry palmed his face and sighed before he continued in an exasperated tone. "Ugh. Purebloods. Squibs – that's what we call people from established families incapable of magic – are often the result of inbreeding. Without new influences, magic slowly stagnates. After all, that is in part why magecraft is on the decline, apart from science driving the mystery out of the world. But back to that jealous prick, Shinji. Unless he gets a taste of what he did to you, he won't even think of repenting. People like him think they're entitled to their cruelty. So it's up to you... do you give him a chance to misbehave and maybe learn from the punishment for his attempt? Or do you want him dealt with. Thrown out? Broken? Dead? As I said, your wish is my command."

Oh how I wanted to see him pay. To feel pain for the unforgivable, irrevocable deeds he had committed. But at the same time I felt dirty for my desire of revenge. I couldn't care less that he was still a teenager; so was I yet it didn't stop him. No, this was about me. Now that our fates had reversed, did I want to be as cruel as he had been? No. And looking at Harry, he seemed uncomfortable with the idea as well despite offering to see it through. Thinking back to what Harry had told me about his cousins Dudley and Draco, he had never taken vengeance on them either. Still, I thought as a vicious smirk came over my lips, there was no need to be quite as forgiving.

"There's no need for revenge. However, if he stays here I think it would only be fair on him to give him a small taste of what awaits him if he backslides."

"A few stinging hexes, perhaps? That, I can do."

"Okay."

Neither of us spoke for a while. I wavered as to with which topic to lead, but as the awkward silence stretched, I picked the more recent one.

"You've been up and about for some time. If you don't mind the question, what had you so excited?"

Harry rubbed the back of his head, seeming a bit embarrassed.

"Don't hesitate to ask. There are no stupid questions, only stupid answers. As to my yell, you see, I wanted to erect a bounded field around the mansion. The last time I actually did that was over a century ago from my perspective, though. I had to reconstruct how to set it up and had to fiddle around for hours. So when I finally got the last rune sequence completed and my test model worked, I was thrilled and forgot about the time. Sorry about that."

"Nah, I was already awake. I don't mind."

"Apart from that, I wrote down a few notes and made copies for you. What I can do, what materials I'll need, and..." here he gulped "the minutes of what your grandfather told me while you were unconscious."

As he gave me the documents, he leaned in closer and gently placed a hand on my shoulder. That gesture actually made me uneasy – what was he concerned about? When I looked up and he caught my eye, he continued.

"Some of the things I heard were rather private, and I apologize for that. Just be aware that I'd never think less of you for what you had to endure. For years, I never told anyone that the Dursleys had treated me like a slave, partially because I was afraid they'd think it was my fault for being weak, partially because of the niggling feeling it might be true. But we both know that it was my relatives who were the freaks, who were to blame. The same applies in your case. You are free and recovering from your ordeal. You're a beautiful young girl and what your brother did doesn't change that. Nobody is perfect and your past doesn't make you flawed."

As Harry spoke, I broke out in tears again. He knew. Yet he didn't mind. But would others agree, as he said? Still, it gave me hope. Maybe I still had a chance with Shirou. Maybe I could leave my childhood behind.

After Harry helped me to dry my tears again, and wasn't that pathetic, I began reading the notes he handed me. I was astonished. So many of grandfathers secrets laid bare, what had been (and in part still was) inside me, the true purpose of the Grail War...

"So they always intended for the last servant to be sacrificed as well. And if it was all designed for a single wish, a single goal, can the Grail even grant both wishes of master and servant or only one?"

"Aargh, yet another fact I should have squeezed out of him. There are so many questions I forgot to ask when I had the chance. So even if we win I might not actually get a wish. I can live with that."

"But you only participated to get your request granted! Maybe I should forgo mine. It is not as if I expected to make one when I summoned you. If I may ask, what do you desire from the Grail?"

"Back in my first year in Hogwarts, the mirror of Erised showed me my deepest desire, and it hasn't really changed since. I always wished my parents, now plus Sirius, were alive and proud of me. But they were all Gryffindors, and helping others would make them proud. Getting you out of the torment you had to suffer is enough for me. So while I wouldn't refuse the means to resurrect them, I don't really need the wish to be content. Besides, there is a small chance that the Grail is still corrupted and nobody gets what they wished for."

"All right, if you really think so."

With that, I continued to read. The compendium of spells was incredibly useful to know, even if I'd have to memorize and burn the list to prevent it from falling into enemy hands. One detail was missing, though.

"What about the rank of these spells? Some servants have innate magic resistance and can only be affected by magic of higher rank. It is likely that one of our opponents will have at least C rank resistance, requiring at least B rank spells to harm them."

"Oh. There go all but two of my spells that actually deal damage. _Conjunctivitis_ is designed to work on dragons and thus A rank, _sectumsempra_ is B rank. Apart from that, I'd have to rely on indirect spells that act as physical attacks. That could be a massive problem. Don't worry, I have a few ideas and a noble phantasm up my sleeve, but let's hope such a high magic resistance is rare."

"Now that you mention it, what about your statistics and skills?"

"I think you have to concentrate on them while looking at me, then they should appear."

I did as suggested and indeed saw an overview next to Harry:

* * *

Harry James Potter-Black  
Class: Rider

Attributes

\- Strength E  
\- Endurance D  
\- Agility A+  
\- Luck E  
\- Mana A  
\- Noble Phantasm A

Skills

\- independent action C  
\- presence concealment C  
\- riding A  
\- poison resistance A  
\- shape-shift E  
\- item construction A  
\- high speed incantation A

Noble Phantasms

\- Deathly Hallows, rank EX  
Elder Wand, resurrection stone and Cloak of Invisibility manifest their legend

\- Buckbeak, rank B  
Hippogriff mount, temporarily phases out of existence and through attacks

* * *

"You can shape shift? I guess that is an animagus form?"

As soon as I asked, Harry perked up. As he explained, a soft smile spread over his lips.

"Right, I didn't mention that. I'm an augury, which is sometimes called an irish phoenix. They look similar to a true phoenix, but lack their magical talents. My form is neither inconspicuous nor powerful, but I don't care: it's me. Flying on my wings is one of the greatest joys in my life."

With that, he suddenly changed into a large bird with black and green plumage. The colours of his feathers matched his black hair and emerald eyes, giving him a regal appearance. I could only imagine how majestic a red-gold phoenix shrouded in flames must be.

"Your form is gorgeous," I praised.

Harry preened, then stretched towards me as if asking to be petted. After hesitating a moment, I obliged. He leaned into my touch and gave a soft croon of content. I relaxed for several minutes before letting him go so that he could transform back.

"I really enjoyed that, you got just the right spot on my neck. Now, any other questions about my abilities?"

"Well, what do your Noble Phantasms do? It doesn't say."

At that, three items materialized on him which had to be the Deathly Hallows.

"You know how the wand was said to be unbeatable, the stone able to summon the souls of the dead and the cloak hiding you even from Death itself? The Hallows I found were far less impressive. The wand is merely powerful, the stone brings forth shades which are imperfect copies similar to a heroic spirit, the cloak only conceals you from magic and sight. However, Noble Phantasms draw from the mystery surrounding them, and in that they are legendary indeed. It drains a lot of prana, but for a short time, the wand ranks up all magic, multiple times if you can afford the prana cost. The stone summons true souls. The cloak makes you unkillable, although you'd succumb to your wounds as soon as you lift it. For now, your circuits can't take the stress, do I won't use it unless the alternative is death."

Again I shrank into myself. Harry had to withhold his best options because I couldn't support them, because he had to be considerate of me.

"Stop that. I know what you're thinking. If you want to blame someone, take Zouken or me. After all, it is due to me that you are bedridden right now. Besides, in a week or two you'll be mostly fine. And I can sense that your circuits far exceed those of a regular magus, so the drain from the few crest worms I couldn't remove won't cripple us."

"But you'll have to do without your Noble Phantasm, your best weapon!"

"I don't care. What matters isn't the Grail, but your safety and happiness. Besides, I have a second, less prana intensive Phantasm. I wouldn't be much of a Rider without a mount. I mentioned Buckbeak yesterday, right? After the war, I often went out flying with him, sometimes aside, sometimes on him. We shared our delight in flying, in the rush of a dive, in the feel of the wind. It seems he came with me when I was made a heroic spirit. But as a hippogriff, he's not quite there. Phantasmal Beasts belong on the Reverse Side of the World. Therefore, he can temporarily be neither here nor there, going intangible so that attacks pass right through him."

He paused for a moment, them said "I think that's all on what I can do. Anything else you'd like to know?"

"What about school? They will notice if I'm absent tomorrow, and if they call they'd ask for grandfather."

I'd also miss cooking with Shirou, but no need to mention that.

"Simple. Shinji tells them that both you and your grandfather are sick. In a week, you will have recovered whereas Zouken tragically died. Old men often succumb to illness."

"And what about you? People will notice if someone appears right before the Grail War."

"If you want I can stay astralized when other people are around. That way, only other servants will notice my presence. I'd prefer a cover story, through. I could pose as a friend of the family from London. I came to take care of you three until you get better, and I'll apply for custody over you two when Zouken passes. Of course any magus would suspect I'm from the Clock Tower and really here for the Grail War, but they'd assume me to be a master, not a servant."

I hadn't even considered what consequences the death of grandfather might have! Admittedly, I had a lot to occupy my mind and didn't fully realize he was gone for good. Harry's plan would deal with several of those issues. Apart from that, I didn't want to be alone right now. His reassuring presence helped to distract me from my inner turmoil flipping between hope and desperation.

"If you think so. It does seem like a good idea."

"Great. There's a few details left to hash out. What Japanese customs are there for mourning? Shinji and I can probably just wear black formal clothes, but I have no idea what to get for you."

"Actually, close family traditionally wear a black silk kimono regardless of gender."

We talked a bit more about funeral arrangements. Later, I insisted to be at least present while Harry prepared lunch, so he floated me down again. Then, he told me with a grin:

"Seeing as you're already here, you can give me instructions on what to do. You are my master, after all, I'm just here to follow orders."

Cooking with Harry wasn't quite as nice as cooking with Shirou, but I enjoyed the chance to contribute what little I could. Soon I lost myself in carefree banter and forgot about the threats looming ahead of us.

* * *

* For reference on properties of magical wood, see  
pottermore com /writing-by-jk-rowling/wand-woods

** Sakura and Rin produce about 500 units of magical energy per day, allowing to recharge a Servant with 1250-2000 units in 3-4 days:  
typemoon wikia com /wiki/Magical_Energy


End file.
